Lan Ke Immortal Destiny! The Path to Heaven, The Path is Beneath Your Feet, Unwavering Will

Within the Northern Spirit Sea Abyss lies a self-contained space, in which all seawater is isolated.

After entering, Chen Dengming felt a faint suppression from a power that Non-Self Dao.

He looked up and saw that the sky was like a blue ribbon, a sliver of blue sky that was dazzling and breathtaking.

All around were towering walls of seawater that made one dizzy, with surging waves rushing through the cracks and flowing down into the bottomless abyss, creating a terrifying stillness and chilling atmosphere.

Chen Dengming descended rapidly. The lower he went, the colder the air became, the larger the space became, and the stronger the pressure became.

After several dozen breaths, a vast underwater ruin gradually appeared below, a desolate and barren landscape.

The towering ruins, dilapidated buildings, and scattered fragments create an unbelievable picture of vicissitudes.

This place has long been a world of endless darkness and boundless abyss, isolating all life from it.

Yet, a faint fluctuation of Incense and Faith emanates from some ruins and broken giant statues of gods, as if these ruins, which have slumbered for countless years, have not yet been forgotten by the world.

Some glassy corals shimmered in the crystal-clear water, isolated from the surrounding area.

Chen Dengming's figure floated down, stirring up a bit of dust. He felt that the surroundings were exceptionally quiet. Apart from the faint Incense and Faith scattered among the ruins, there was not much to care about here.

"Given this state of ruins, it's quite difficult to find treasures or Daoist practices Incense Immortal Way."

Chen Dengming looked around and vaguely sensed that someone was watching him from the shadows.

A kind of Non-Self force, neither strong nor weak, made him feel that mobilizing his Law Power was very sluggish, and even his Divine Sense seemed to be obscured, making it impossible for him to accurately capture those hidden gazes.

However, since Qu Shenzong did not warn him, and his mind did not give any warning, it meant that it was not a great threat.

He kept a close watch on things, his consciousness following the connection with Qu Shenzong, flying into the distance. His eyes flashed with Cyan Light, and he vaguely saw a mountain peak in the water, as if through a layer of seawater.

Within this abyss, the Eye of the Heavens is suppressed and weakened, making it difficult to see clearly.

"Another foreign cultivator."

"His aura is very powerful."

"If we could get his body, we..."

Just then, a series of faint, eerie whispers, like a gentle breeze, drifted by, their sounds carrying a seductive quality.

Chen Dengming frowned slightly, his eyes flashing with a blue light. He scanned his surroundings and let out a cold shout like a thunderclap.

"What kind of demon are you! Hiding like that, come out!!"

The surrounding ruins, broken walls, dilapidated buildings, and statues exuded a dark and eerie atmosphere, with no figures visible to be seen.

Suddenly, an eerie power, accompanied by intense Incense and Faith, burst forth from the massive, broken head of a statue buried in the dust. The statue seemed to come alive, with a long, oval face, bulging cheeks, deep-set eyes, a pointed nose, and eyes that emitted an evil light.

"Out-of-town cultivator, you have disturbed us! Atone with your body!"

"Playing tricks!"

A flash of divine light appeared in Chen Dengming's eyes, and a surge of Immortal Celestial Dao Power within them became extremely chaotic and agitated, suddenly transforming into two thick arcs of electricity that appeared out of thin air.

Boom!!--

The malevolent power that had been carrying the weight of Incense and Faith was instantly shattered by the Thunder Fire, and a terrified, ear-piercing scream that seemed to resonate in people's hearts suddenly erupted.

"An evil spirit? It seems to be a Spirit Transmutation Malevolent Spirit?" Chen Dengming's eyes flashed with surprise.

Dust billowed from the ground, accompanied by a roar. Suddenly, the massive, broken head of the statue burst forth from the earth, revealing its crimson torso, muscular physique, robust build, and fierce aura. Standing over ten zhang tall, it exuded a powerful and ferocious presence, charging towards Chen Dengming with overwhelming force, a wild and turbulent aura spreading outwards.

Chen Dengming snorted coldly and took the initiative to step forward, his Giant Deer Mage Robe rapidly extending along with his expanding body.

"You"

The statue, which had charged forward with fierce momentum, suddenly dimmed the evil light in its eyes. It watched as the Daoist's body opposite it grew to more than 20, 30, and 60 feet in the blink of an eye, and was still growing. Silver arcs of electricity were released from its body. The statue was so frightened that it immediately stopped its forward momentum and tried to retreat quickly.

However, when he tried to retreat, the terrifying giant that Chen Dengming had transformed into was even faster. With a huge stride, it charged past, mercilessly crushing a ruined building into dust.

Immediately afterwards, two hands, enveloped in thick air, grabbed out simultaneously.

The statue immediately screamed, releasing a sinister and Malevolent Spirit Power that evoked all sorts of negative emotions, while simultaneously raising its thick, hard arms.

With a "click".

The statue's sturdy, thick arms, as fragile as sugarcane, were crushed and exploded by Chen Dengming's two terrifying Silver Light hands.

Before the statue could retreat, a giant fist unleashed another terrifying bowl-shaped shockwave, slamming down with tremendous force!

BOOM!!

The statue exploded, and the surging stone dust formed a ring-shaped shockwave, sending up a large cloud of dust.

A terrified, malevolent Divine Sense burrowed into the broken head of the statue, and the entire head was about to fly away and escape.

Buzz!

Air vibration!

Another large Silver Light hand descended from the sky and gripped his head tightly.

Chen Dengming's gaze burned like two silver beams, piercing into the eerie depths of the broken statue's eyes. Instantly, a shrill scream emanated from within the statue's head, faintly emanating black, malevolent thoughts, as if emitting smoke.

He gripped it tightly.

With a loud "boom".

The entire massive, hard statue's head was instantly crushed, scattering stone dust and debris everywhere. The Spirit Transmutation Malevolent Spirit Divine Sense within it vanished instantly, leaving only a trace of Incense and Faith that lingered around like a rootless duckweed.

"It's completely dissipated?"

Chen Dengming felt a sense of emptiness. This kind of Spirit Transmutation Malevolent Spirit, similar to the Wonderful Sound Sect, the first Shi Yiyin Sect, who had once forced him to the brink of death, was now too fragile to last more than ten breaths in his hands.

With a flick of his sleeve, he swept away the dust, his eyes like two dazzling silver rays of aurora, scanning all directions.

Instantly, the feeling of being secretly spied on vanished, and even the Incense and Faith in the ruins weakened considerably, no longer daring to act recklessly.

Chen Dengming shook his head inwardly, exiting the state of the Ancient Human Immortal Physique and returning to his normal body. No wonder Qu Shenzong hadn't reminded him of anything.

Within this abyss, it seems that only the suppression of Power of the Non-Self Dao is worth noting. As for Spirit Transmutation Malevolent Spirit or other weaker demons, they are insignificant to Your Majesty of their strength.

Chen Dengming already had a guess as to why these evil spirits were born in this place.

These are roughly the cultivators who perished in the Northern Spirit Sea Palace in the past, or those who came in to search for treasures in later years but died tragically.

After these people die, their Nascent Soul Primordial Spirit cannot escape. In addition, due to the special influence of the local Incense and Faith, their Nascent Soul Primordial Spirit gradually perish, transforming into obsessive thoughts that become evil spirits, continuing to harm those who come after them.

He quickly took off and flew towards the mountains he observed in the distance.

After that, the road was clear, and no more foolish evil spirits or monsters dared to come out and try to block the way.

Chen Dengming felt as if he had flown for thousands of miles in this incredibly vast underwater world before finally seeing a towering peak ahead. Its imposing presence resembled a pillar reaching for the sky, pressing down on him with such height that it seemed about to collapse and become aggressive. Five-colored clouds drifted across the peak, and a spiritual light flickered.

Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be some ancient Ganoderma lucidum with a deep, lustrous color and exquisite, translucent Thousand-Petal Lotus growing in the mountains.

Occasionally, a flash of light would appear, revealing gleaming green tiles, suggesting a magnificent palace inhabited by immortals—truly a treasure mountain.

"Is this Lan Ke Mountain?"

Just as Chen Dengming was wondering what was going on, he heard Qu Shenzong's heroic roar coming from behind the mountain.

"Nephew Disciple Chen, you've finally arrived! This is Lan Ke Mountain. It's a pity that for so many years, I've come to this treasure mountain in vain, unable to enter. This time, with our combined efforts, perhaps we can try to enter the mountain and witness the immortals' game of chess!"

A gust of wind blew in from behind the mountain, and soon a column of wind swirled and drifted over.

Qu Shenzong's figure was clearly visible within the pillar of wind.

Seeing Qu Shenzong flying around the mountain, Chen Dengming knew that this mountain was very special, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but ask about its mysteries.

"Sigh, this Lan Ke Mountain, I think it's more like a terrifying sealing formation, no, calling it a sealing formation isn't quite accurate."

Qu Shenzong landed, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the mountain peak and shook his head, saying, "This mountain is more like a Battlefield formed after immortals used a chessboard to fight. For some reason that I can't understand, the aftershocks of the battle have always been confined to this mountain."

Therefore, this mountain is now extremely dangerous; to climb it and witness the chess game played by immortals is to take a great risk.

"The aftershocks of a battle between immortals?"

Chen Dengming's heart skipped a beat, and when he looked at the high mountains ahead, he couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

How powerful would the aftershocks of a battle between immortals be? Could a mere Spirit Transformation even get close?

Perhaps it's equivalent to the impact Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord would have on Golden Core Cultivator during a battle? Or even more exaggerated.

"Don't be so quick to back down."

Qu Shenzong glanced at Chen Dengming's expression and knew he had been intimidated. He laughed and said, "Even if it was the aftermath of a battle between immortals, so many years have passed, and it has actually weakened considerably. Otherwise, I would have encountered an accident when I tried it before."

Now that you are a late-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator, and we are both skilled in the Dao of Heavenly Immortal Way, we can assist each other and perhaps ascend the mountain!

Chen Dengming looked at him strangely, "How did my ancestor manage to climb the mountain back then? He even stayed up there for so long watching the chess game before coming down."

"That's fate, the legendary Immortal Destiny of immortals! Immortal Destiny is something you can only encounter by chance, not by seeking."

Qu Shenzong shook his head and looked at the mountain path, saying, "The reason is that we don't recognize the true face of this mountain, because we are in the mountain ourselves."

Often, it is precisely because we are unaware that we may have the opportunity to stumble upon something, or perhaps we may walk into it without even realizing it.

If one knows, then there is no chance; even if one prays and kowtows all the way up the mountain, one cannot enter the Mountain Gate!

Qu Shenzong paused, then said, "You should have heard the legend of the woodcutter encountering the immortal."

That's the legend of your family's first ancestor.

Long ago, a woodcutter went up the mountain to chop wood and saw two children playing Go, so he sat down to watch.

Little did they know, those two boys were manifestations of the Daoist aura left behind by the immortals after they played chess in the past.

The game played is a grand game for the world, encompassing the past, present, and future.

The chess pieces on that chessboard represent some of the most influential figures in the world, both past and present, and for thousands of years to come.

When the game of chess is finished, seven days have passed on the mountain, while a thousand years have passed in the world.

The woodcutter then realized that the handle of his axe was rotten. After descending the mountain, he discovered that the world below had changed dramatically, and a great catastrophe had already passed.

And the woodcutter eventually embarked on the Venerable Immortal because of this, gradually growing into the renowned Longevity Dao Lord!

Chen Dengming nodded slightly; he had certainly heard the story of the woodcutter encountering the immortal.

Qu Shenzong said, "According to your ancestor, everything is predetermined, and this predetermined fate lies in the chessboard where immortals play chess."

Your ancestor, you, me, all of us could be pieces on the chessboard, or perhaps not even pieces at all.

The death of your ancestor was predetermined, for he was a pawn to be sacrificed in the hands of the immortals."

"Definite number?"

Chen Dengming frowned, looking at the mountain peaks ahead, a surge of anger rising within him for no apparent reason.

He didn't want to believe in destiny.

The death of the First Ancestor is now a predetermined fate, a pawn to be sacrificed by the immortals long ago, which only makes him feel absurd and pathetic.

Even if the First Ancestor was willing, he would not willingly become a pawn whose fate was already sealed in the hands of the immortals.

"It seems you don't believe in destiny either."

Qu Shenzong laughed heartily with his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming with a strange light, and said, "I don't believe it either. Chess games are always full of variables. Even dead pieces can be brought back to life. That's why I came to see this chessboard where immortals once played chess, in order to find a chance to survive in the face of death."

Alright, let's get ready to go up the mountain! You can familiarize yourself with the area first; there are two mountain paths on Lan Ke Mountain.

We can only climb that rugged and difficult mountain path; the higher we go, the greater the pressure."

Chen Dengming nodded and looked at the mountain road ahead.

But then they saw a rugged and treacherous mountain path, strewn with jagged rocks.

The other one is flat and magnificent, with snow-white stone steps, like jade.

He wasn't in a hurry. He first made a hand seal to create several clones, which he then sent forward to scout ahead.

As soon as the clone stepped onto the steep mountain path steps ahead, it was crushed by an immense pressure.

They had only walked a short distance when the clones were struggling to move forward as if carrying several mountains, their bodies bursting with spiritual light under the pressure.

A thought flashed through Chen Dengming's mind, and several clones leaped into the air. They had only flown a few dozen feet when they were all crushed by an invisible, terrifying force and exploded with a bang.

"Such intense pressure!" Chen Dengming exclaimed in surprise.

With his current strength, all the clones he created possessed the power of the Nascent Soul Late Stage, yet he could only walk nearly a hundred feet on this mountain path before he couldn't withstand the strain.

He could empathize with the feeling of someone climbing the mountain.

This mountain road now gave him the feeling of a heavenly road that was difficult to ascend to, and the pressure increased the higher he went.

"It's likely that among the immortals who played chess back then, one was a celestial being. The aftershocks of their game altered the feng shui of the mountain path, creating this feeling of ascending to heaven. The other mountain path must have been influenced by the Immortal Power of the deity."

Chen Dengming looked at Qu Shenzong, his eyes bright, "Senior Qu, am I right!"

"Good!"

Qu Shenzong's expression showed a hint of appreciation as he said, "This Heavenly Road is not too difficult for you and me to climb, after all, we both cultivate the Path of Heavenly Immortals. But the more difficult part is yet to come, which will test not only our character but also our understanding of the Dao of Heavenly Immortal Way."

If Dao Intent's understanding of the Dao is not profound, it will be difficult to truly ascend the mountain.

"Over the years, I have stayed here not only to climb mountains, but also to hone and deepen my understanding of the Dao Intent."

After speaking, Qu Shenzong took the lead and walked up the mountain path as if on flat ground, taking one step at a time and quickly climbing the mountain, as if he did not feel any pressure at all.

Chen Dengming's eyes flashed, and he patted the Giant Deer Mage Robe on his body. The giant deer let out a cry, wisely leaving and transforming into a giant deer to wait at the foot of the mountain.

Chen Dengming, dressed in a blue robe, began his ascent.

The initial pressure of several tens of feet had little effect on him.

After several dozen feet, the higher Chen Dengming went, the heavier his steps became, as if he were about to turn into an ordinary mortal.

The Law Power and Daoist powers within his body seemed to have lost all their supporting function.

If it weren't for his still-powerful Dao body, which made his steps strong and powerful, like the roots of an old tree, he would have thought he had truly become a mortal.

"This mountain path is truly ingenious. The pressure is even greater than when I ascended to the Outer Heaven; it's like a real heavenly path!"

Chen Dengming continued walking, looking up at the mountain road that stretched endlessly into the clouds.

Looking down at the mountain road shrouded in mist, it seemed empty and bottomless, a sight that could send shivers down one's spine.

The road is hard, the road is hard, harder than ascending to heaven!

Cultivating immortality is difficult, it's even more difficult than seeking eternal life!

But as long as you are determined, the road will always be under your feet, and you can always climb and move forward!

Undeterred by the clouds obscuring his view, Chen Dengming, already firmly rooted in the mountain, continued his ascent with unwavering resolve.

The pressure was becoming increasingly heavy, even to the point that he could no longer feel his Law Power or even his Primordial Spirit.

The mountain path grew ever steeper and deeper, shrouded in mist and clouds, making it seem as if he could not see the end of it, nor could he see Qu Shenzong's figure.

But as long as he sees there is still a road ahead, he never stops and always moves forward.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but suddenly he felt the clouds and mist in front of him change and disperse, as if the clouds had parted and the moon was shining. The pressure seemed to lighten, and his Law Power and Primordial Spirit appeared in his dulled senses, as if he had been New Life and even improved.

Qu Shenzong's figure had appeared ahead, but it was filled with an eerie, twisted feeling, giving one an inexplicable sense of unease.

(It's almost the end of the month, remember to use up your monthly passes, don't waste them)

Thank you to Earth's King of Dirty Disorder for the 20,000 coin donation, thank you to Brother Xiong who loves hot pot for the 5,000 coin donation, and thank you to Flower Not a Leek for the several thousand coins donation. These are all donations accumulated this month. The author is rather lazy and has received very few donations for this book, which is why I forgot to thank everyone. Yesterday, King of Dirty Disorder donated again, so I'd like to express my collective gratitude for everyone's support! Thank you!